Stadium of Dreams
by Sakuras Ray Of Hope
Summary: An old and abandoned stadium. Four friends and a secret that hadn't been talked about in centuries. They accidentally found it out. Now they can't turn back.
1. Chapter 1

**Stadium of Dreams**

By, Sakura's Ray Of Hope 

Author's Note:

Don't ask what possessed me to write this story. It's actually sort of true, except for the parts with magic, and the fact that I used the CCS gang. Also in this story, Nadeshiko is quite alive. So don't go telling me she's supposed to be dead; I know she is supposed to be dead, but I don't care. It's my story, I'll do what I want! *sticks tongue out playfully* Well, anyway, I don't own any CCS characters. Just read the story. It's actually quite inspiring. 

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Chapter One

Nadeshiko and Fujitaki, mother and father of 12-year-old Sakura and 16-year-old Touya Kinomoto were taking their very first drive in America. They had moved to America from Japan only yesterday for financial reasons. They had been staying at a friend's house in New York but only until they found a house. They were looking in a town called Kew Gardens, and weren't having much luck in finding a house for sale. Touya seemed bored, but Sakura was enthusiastic. 

"So what do you children think of America so far?" Nadeshiko asked cheerfully, looking back at her children. (A/n: She's sitting in the passenger seat, not the driver's!) Sakura smiled at her mother and Touya grumbled something incoherent. 

"I love it! It's beautiful, and it's so alive and so big and there are so many cars and tall buildings and-" Nadeshiko and Fujitaki laughed at her eagerness. Sakura smiled again and looked out the window. Suddenly she spotted a small house with a "For Sale" sign hanging in front. It seemed so homey and Sakura squealed in delight. 

"Father pull over! Look at that house!" Everyone looked at where Sakura was pointing. The parents' eyes lit up. 

"Oh, it's perfect. Let's go look at it, Fujitaki-kun." Nadeshiko asked. Fujitaki smiled and pulled over the car. As if on cue, a man walked out of the house when they got out of the car. He smiled warmly at them and walked up to Fujitaki, as casually as though he had been expecting him. Sure enough:

"Hello there, Mr. Kinomoto! I've been expecting you." He said, holding his hand out for Fujitaki to shake. He looked confused at first that this man had known who he was, but sure enough shook his hand. 

"I'm Samson Smidts. You can call me Sam." A woman walked out of the house behind him and he smiled and gestured for her to come over to him. She smiled warmly at the Kinomotos'.

"And this is my wife, Andrea Smidts. You can call her Andy." Andy smiled at Fujitaki and then at his wife. 

"Wonderful to meet you all." She said, bowing a little. Nadeshiko bowed a little, too.   
Sakura bounced behind them excitedly. Maybe she bounced a bit too much because the Smidts noticed her. 

"Well this must be Sakura! Great to see you Sakura! I'm Sam." He held out his hand for her to shake. She smiled warmly at him and shook his hand. 

"Nice to meet you Sam. Umm.........are you selling this house?" She asked staring at the house. It seemed so familiar, yet she definitely knew she had never been to America. Sam smiled at her.

"Yes we are. In fact, we were thinking of selling it to you. Would you like to see inside?" Sakura turned around and smiled at her parents.

"Oh can we? Onegai, Onegai, Onegai!!??" She asked. Her parents looked at her smiling face then nodded. The Smidts then gave them a tour of the house. By the time they were done, Sakura could have almost sworn that this house was in fact hers from Japan. But she knew it was impossible. 

They settled down in the dining room and her parents and the Smidts talked about payment plans and such and such. They were both smiling when they left about a half an hour later, so Sakura knew they were getting the house. 

"So? Are we going to get the house? Are we?" Sakura asked eagerly. Touya couldn't help but smile. His sister was happy with America, so he should be to. Nadeshiko smiled at her daughter.

"Yes, we are getting the house." 

"When do we move in?" 

"Tomorrow." Fujitaki answered. Sakura squealed.  
"Yes! I can't wait to call Tomoyo and tell her about..............everything!" Sakura refrained from saying "about how the house looks exactly like our old one!" because she knew her parents would be a bit confused. 

~ ~ * ~ ~ 

When they got to Nadeshiko's friend, DiAnna's house, they began to pack whatever had been taken out and put it in the trunk of their large 4x4. Then they all went to sleep. Sakura was pretty excited, seeing as she had found a house that looked exactly like her old one. But when all her thoughts of the house subsided, a picture of something kept flashing in her head. She noticed that she had seen it during their drive to their new house, but ignored it, trying to look for a house. It had a strange aura to it. It looked like a large building, although it wasn't a building and it didn't have a ceiling. It was round and used up a whole block of space.   
"A stadium." Sakura whispered into the dark. A Stadium indeed, Sakura. A Stadium indeed.

  
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Author's Note:  
Well, chapter one is done. Sorry it's so short. I'll have more in the next chapter. Keep reviewing for me! See ya. 


	2. Chapter 2

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Stadium of Dreams

By, Sakura's Ray Of Hope

Author's Note:

Ok, I got the second chapter up. I'm going to be writing the story from Sakura's point of view, k? Ummm, we're going to pretend that the Kinomoto's already moved in. It turns out that the house they bought was half an hour away from where they lived before, so it's a whole new town to discover for Sakura. Also, from now on, I'm going to e-mail users who review for me when I update the story. If you request for me not to e-mail u when I update, just tell me in a review or e-mail me at Innocence2004eva@aol.com. 

Answers to Reviewers:

+ Space Ranger (User 8947)

I guarantee you this is going to be longer than the last chapter, so don't worry. The guardian thing? Well, in this story I decided I don't really want to use the guardians. Maybe I'll stick Kero in somewhere, or I'll re-do the first chapter to contain Kero in it *Shrug* Either or, I'll try to fix my boo-boo of forgetting to mention anything about the guardians! ^_^ And the last thingie, I fixed my review settings; Sorry I didn't know that I had it on. I love reviews, no matter what: Anonymous or not. So, sorry about that little mistake. 

+ Cherry Blossomz Gurl (User 215371)

Thanx for your reviews! And I love your writing too! ^_^ Continue reviewing for me, k?^_^ 

Well, on to the fic!

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Chapter 2

The sky was perfectly clear, with puffy clouds dotting here and there. It wasn't cold at all, but it wasn't hot either. A small breeze blew by, and I turned around to feel it full in my face. When I turned back around to continue walking, I tightened my light pink windbreaker around me. I was walking down Burns Street, and I was looking for something; I didn't know what, though. I just woke up, took a shower, ate a quick breakfast and told my mom and dad that I was going exploring. My legs brought me to Burns Street and I found myself looking all over the place for something. 

__

What am I looking for? I thought.

__

The stadium, remember? You wanted to know more about it. A voice said in my head. It was my second conscience. Yes, I knew this little voice. A sneaky, mischievous thing that told me all the wrong things to do. Kero, my guardian, warned me about this. I promised myself I'd talk to him and my best friend, Tomoyo about this later, but right now, I had to admit that I was curious about the stadium that had been haunting my dreams. I sighed. 

__

Why me? 

"Hey, girl! Hey, come back here!" A voice cried. I stopped walking and turned around. A girl about my age with light blue jeans and a red windbreaker was running after me. I noticed her features; they seemed unique enough. The girl had flaming red hair and dark brown eyes; I found myself wanting to be friends with her. Well, I befriended almost everyone I saw, didn't I? The girl caught up to me, and fell to her knees, panting. I smiled and helped her up. She smiled back. Yup, definitely friendship material. 

"Arigatou." She said quietly. I gasped. She spoke Japanese! 

"Ummm, you speak Japanese?" I asked timidly. She looked at me and smiled again. 

"Hai! You're Japanese, right?" I nodded then held out my hand for her to shake. 

"I just moved here from Japan. My name is Sakura Kinomoto. You can call me Sakura or Sakura-chan, if you like." She took my hand and shook it. I noticed she had tiny and delicate hands; I suddenly had the impression that she was a popular girl at school, or at least a cheerleader. She definitely had the body for it. 

"I'm Phoenix. I've lived in Kew Gardens, New York all my life. I'm not exactly Japanese," She added, looking at my confused face. I WAS confused; she didn't have a Japanese name, but an American one. "I take Japanese as a second language at John Oak's Middle School." I smiled again. 

"I'm starting John Oaks on Monday!" I exclaimed happily. She beamed.

"Great! I could show you around and everything!" 

"Yeah, that'd be great!" Well, at least I had a new friend who knew Japanese AND went to my school. That was a good start. 

"Oh, ummm........here. You dropped it in front of my house." She handed me a tiny package and I gasped, then blushed. Yup, that was definitely mine. It was a gift from Syaoran Li, my one true love. I never opened it, afraid of what it held inside. I didn't know why though. The goodbye at the airport with him and my other friends suddenly came back as crystal clear as ever. It was a sad day, but I'll tell you more about that later. I took the package from her hand and pocketed it. 

"Uh, thanks. I'm a little clumsy at some times." I sweat dropped. _Yeah, your an idiot Sakura! She's not going to want to be your friend now, nitwit!! Baka Sakura-chan!_'

"That's ok. I'm sort of a klutz at times, too. Wanna be friends?" She asked eagerly. My eyes lit up. 

"Of course! I love friends!" We smiled at each other and began to walk. It turned out that we actually had a lot in common. We both loved and were cheerleaders, we both took Japanese, we both had an annoying big brother and a kind mom and dad, and we were both in love with a certain someone. She told me who he was. Some boy named Sean...?? She described him as I described Syaoran. A stubborn, intense amber colored eyed and messy brown haired boy, with a short temper, but a kind heart. I told her that Syaoran looked a lot like Sean. We both sighed in unison and laughed. We had only just met and we were already talking at the same time or finishing each other's sentences. By the time we stopped to see where we had walked, we both knew each other's family history. 

"Where are we?" I asked Phoenix, who looked as frightened as I was. She shook her head. 

"I don't really know. At least I don't think I know." I looked up at the street sign. "Dreamers Crescent" it read. 

__

Weird name..... I couldn't help but think. Suddenly I looked up and smiled. 

"Phoenix, look! It's the stadium from my dream!" She followed my gaze and beamed.

"That's Finnegan's Wake. It's an old and abandoned baseball stadium, and it used to be famous, but no one uses it anymore. Are you sure that was the one in your dream?" She gave me a quizzical look. I nodded. She shrugged. 

"Wanna go up?" She asked, pointing to the staircase that led to the inside of the stadium. I shrugged and nodded. She led the way. But as we climbed the metal stairs, I felt a presence; It wasn't evil, and it seemed so familiar. 

__

Just like how I felt about the house.......

We both climbed the stairs until I thought my legs would buckle; and they almost did, had we not finally reached level ground. We were both panting. She led me to a seat on the bleachers of the stadium grounds. While we caught our breath, I took a good look around. The presence was strong, so welcoming, so familiar, yet so distant. Phoenix was right, though: the stadium did look very untidy, with garbage strewn about and toilet paper and grass and sand from the ground all soppy and dirty. It definitely looked abandoned and old. Every set of flood lights were cracked and there wasn't a soul to be seen anywhere. 

"Well, this is Finnegan's Wake. Does it look like the one in your dream?" Phoenix asked once we caught our breath and were standing up, looking around. I nodded, but I had a funny look on my face, I knew. I was torn between confusion and disgust. In my dream, the stadium had been clean and sparkling and everything. But this wasn't it. Even so, I still felt that presence and some part of me argued that this was the place. 

"Yeah, but it looks nothing like the one in my dream............yet I feel this, this presence that tells me it is......" Phoenix gave me a confusing look. 

"Presence? What, are you psychic or something?" I looked over at her and felt a huge sweat drop form at the side of my head. Whoops, shouldn't have let that slip.....

"Uh, I'll tell you about it later. It's quite a long story. Heh." I giggled nervously. She shrugged, looked at the stadium, then back at me.   
"Well, are you positively sure that this is the place? I mean, it hasn't been touched in like......centuries. No one has ever been here." I turned to her. 

"Why not? It was, like you said, famous once. Why did it shut down and become............this?" I said, pointing to the clutter on the field. She shrugged.

"You know, this place wasn't originally called Finnegan's Wake. They say it's cursed. You know, haunted with a ghost." I gasped. I hated ghosts and suddenly felt reluctant of the place. 

"G-Ghost?" I stammered, inching my way to the stairs. She gave me a confused look.

"Yeah, what's wrong?" She asked. I shook my head.

"I HATE ghosts!" I squealed. She smiled a little.

"I love ghosts, but I know that if I ever saw one, I'd be scared out of my wits!" I giggled, feeling a little better. I thought I was the only one who hated ghosts. Guess I was wrong.   
"How about I tell you the story of George Finnegan, the famous baseball player of the little leagues in KG?" She asked after a moment of silence. I nodded timidly and she began.

"Well, maybe about a century ago, a little boy named George Finnegan tried out for the little leagues. He had a kind heart and a strong spirit. He was also the best hitter in the entire town, and everyone envied him, but they still encouraged him. If he made the little league team, he could win his town the first place trophy, one they hadn't won in over a hundred years.

"So he tried out and made the team. Everyone was so happy that they held a block party in KG Hall in his honor. The entire town was in on it. But one person didn't go. His name was Mark Diago. Mark hated George for being better than him. In fact, he hated everyone that was better than him. He was also the richest kid in town. His parents didn't care about him, either. So he plotted to.....well, he plotted to.........." She trailed off. 

"He plotted to do what, Phoenix?" I asked quietly, dreading the answer. She offered a tiny smile. 

"He plotted to kill little George." I gasped and I felt tears forming in my eyes. Working hard to keep them from falling, I signaled for her to go on. 

"His plan was put into action. The next day, during the first Little League game, one of Mark's henchmen shot George from the audience. He died on the field, just about to swing a home run." I stared at her. She shook her head and turned to face the field. Not noticing it was getting dark, she continued. 

"After that, the guy who killed George was caught and he was forced to tell who put him up to the killing. Mark was hanged within a week. 

"Every single game after that, the KG Cardinals lost. No matter who they recruited, no matter what they did, they lost every single game. Another strange happening was that at the beginning of every game they had, George's ghost would be seen in the middle of the field and throughout the whole game, he'd appear at different places, scaring people off, scaring the little leaguers. Eventually, the Cardinals gave up. No on wanted to be on the team anymore. They had to close down this stadium. You know what they originally called this place?" I shook my head. I was really crying now, and crying hard. She came over to me and put a comforting hand on my shoulder. 

"They used to call it the Birds of Prey Stadium. You know, for the Cardinals and such. The mayor ordered it to be taken down. But this time, two ghosts appeared. One was George. He'd just appear and glare at the workers, but he'd never do anything. The other ghost was never confirmed. He'd do dangerous things to the workers, like throwing bricks or shutting off machines or breaking barriers. Everyone thought this ghost was Mark, but, like I said, it was never confirmed. No one ever got a good look at his face. Ever." She added, sitting down next to me on the bleachers. I couldn't bring myself to look at her and it didn't seem she could either, but I could sense her sadness. We both looked out over the field, me disliking it with every word she spoke of the place. 

"The workers called this place Finnegan's Wake because George Finnegan left behind his ghost. The name stuck and the hauntings grew worse. Eventually, the ghost of Mark killed a worker. A pile of bricks fell on him. The workers couldn't take it anymore and left. So the mayor shut this place down. No one was allowed to go here, but as you can see, Halloween, and other holidays brought people to party and TP here." She finished. Taking a deep breath, she turned to look at me again, but I was just staring out over the field. I looked over at her and she wiped a tear from my face that was already snaking it's way down my sore and very-red cheek. 

"Don't cry. I know you have a kind heart and you do care, but it's no use crying over. No hauntings have been recorded since the night of Timmy Turner." I gave her a confused look, but she shook her head.

"No more story telling today. I'll tell you tomorrow. Uh-oh..............Oh my gosh, Sakura look how late it is!" She squealed, looking down at her dainty wristwatch. I looked at my own. Oh god, I was definitely going to get into trouble now! I told my parents I was going to be home by 5:00, which was just before dark. It was already 6:30. I jumped up and me and Phoenix clamored down the metal stairs and ran home. 

I made it home just before a lightning bolt clapped somewhere overhead and rain pounded down. And of course, my parents were mad at me. At least they didn't ground me. Especially after I told them that I made a new friend. I just had to cook dinner and wash the dishes for the next week. I didn't mind, as long as I could ponder the thought of Finnegan's Wake being haunted. I shivered at the thought. Yes, now I was fascinated by ghosts, especially the ones of the old stadium, but what if the ghost of Mark or George showed up? I decided that I'd call Phoenix later to talk..............wait! I don't have her phone number!! 

"HOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE................" 

~~*~~

A figure stood in the middle of the stadium, glaring at the metal stairs, and thinking of the two girls that had been there earlier. One with fiery red hair and one with silky auburn. His scowl lessened as he thought of them. The auburn-haired one looked suspiciously like Anais, his beloved. The other looked like her best friend, Angela. He sighed contently and disappeared, as mysteriously as he had appeared. 

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Author's Note: 

Ooh, a cruel, cruel cliffhanger!! *Evil laugh* Yes, I did it, I did it, I did it!! I made a successful cliffhanger. Oh well, keep reviewing peoplez. I might not be updating this story for a while, seeing as I have a BILLION projects to do. *Content sigh* Oh well. See you guys later and keep r+r-ing. 


	3. Chapter 3

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Stadium of Dreams

By, Sakura's Ray Of Hope

Author's Note:

Hey, hey, hey! Third chapter is up and running! I revised the second chapter to fix a few errors and add a few more! This chapter should be twice as long as chapter two with some surprising twists and turns here and there! Thanx everyone for reviewing my story and please, start reviewing my others! ^_^ Well, have fun reading this one! 

On to the Fic!

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Chapter 3

  
=Dream Sequence=

"Anais, come out, come out wherever you are!" A voice called, giggling in the way of the words. A girl with fiery red hair ran around the inside of the stadium, a boy, about the same age as her, running behind her, smiling. A giggle was suddenly heard and the two children stopped running, staying completely frozen. They crept toward where the giggle had come from. It was suddenly heard again. 

"She's there." the little boy whispered, grinning and pointing to the back of the old fashion popcorn machine. The girl smiled and tiptoed around the other side. The giggle was louder and suddenly, it turned to outrageous laughs. The girl jumped aside just as another girl with silky auburn hair jumped up from behind the machine, laughing maniacally. 

"Anais, what is your problem?" the girl demanded sternly, but she had a huge grin on her face and her dark brown eyes were smiling. Anais shook her head and smiled innocently, her laughter subsiding to mere giggles.

"Nothing, Angela, my dear, sweet best friend! I was just......uh....laughing about the fact that you didn't come to find me in my favorite spot first!" She stammered, trying to look as innocent as she always was, but she was fighting a losing battle. Angela and the other boy grinned. 

"Anais, you're a very bad liar, you know." the boy said. Anais looked at him, blushed then grinned.

"You wouldn't know a lie if it hit you in the face, George!" she giggled. Angela stepped to her best friend's side and slapped her a high-five. George grinned like a pumpkin and walked behind the two girls to the popcorn machine. He reached behind it, then gasped as he pulled a tiny package out. 

"Anais, what's this?" He asked quietly, examining the box carefully. Anais marched over and snatched it from him, blushing madly as she pocketed it. 

"None of your business, George Finnegan!" She exclaimed. George frowned.

"Why not?"

"Because it's............not time to give it to you!" She yelled. Suddenly she realized what she said and blushed so red, she looked like a tomato. Her hand flew to her mouth as George worked to hide his huge grin and blush and inched his way toward his girlfriend.   
"Please tell me, my dear." He said soothingly in that voice that just made her melt. Suddenly a lighting bolt clashed overhead and the sound of raindrops were heard. Angela and Anais screamed, George panicked and they all ran out. The package Anais had pocketed fell to the floor and rolled behind the popcorn machine, where it remained forgotten.

=End Dream Sequence=

I sat up in bed as yet another boom pierced the usually quiet night. 

__

That dream again.......... I thought, frustrated. I looked at my clock. 12:00 a.m., midnight. I plopped back down on my pillow and tried to go to sleep again. But I was fighting a losing battle. Tomorrow was school and I had to get up early so as not to be tardy for school. I really wanted to make a good impression, but most of all, I wanted to talk to Phoenix. I hadn't seen her since Friday. I already talked to Tomoyo and Kero over the phone, but I had to make it quick because the long distance calls were expensive, so I didn't get to tell them all that much. Phoenix was the next best person to talk to, as for now she was my best friend. I needed to talk to her about the dream I kept having with two girls named Angela and Anais and little George and the stadium. It was getting annoying, to tell you the truth. 

Sighing once again, I turned on my side to stare out the window..........

And almost screamed. 

Someone-or something- was staring in at me. It took me only about a millisecond to notice who it was.

"Phoenix!" I cried, jumping up and racing to the window. I opened it and a cold chill swept into my room as Phoenix jumped in and smiled thankfully at me. Dripping wet, I noticed she had a red raincoat decorated with cherries, a red hat pulled firmly over her messy and now sopping wet hair, and black rain boots with the initials P. S. down the side in dark red. 

"I am so sorry, Sakura-chan. I had to sneak out 'cause my parents are still mad at me." She looked pleadingly at me and I smiled. 

"No need to apologize, Phoenix, just as long as your safe." _And here........._ I thought. Phoenix smiled.   
"Thanks Sakura-chan!" She exclaimed, pealing off her raincoat and boots and laying them, along with her red hat, on the rocking chair near the window. I sat on my bed and she tried to dry off her wet hair with the towel I gave her. 

"How did you get my address?" I asked. 

"Well, everyone knows this house has been empty since George's family moved out-"  
"WHAT!?!?!" I screeched then immediately covered my mouth. Phoenix frowned.

"Oops.......uh, sorry. This used to be George's house, you know. Heh, sorry, I guess I forgot to tell you." I frowned.   
"Phoenix! It's bad enough I took a visit to a haunted stadium-"

"I already told you, no hauntings have been recorded-"  
"Since the night of Timmy Turner, yes I know. But, it's bad enough I took a visit to a stadium that was once haunted, but now I find out this house was George's?" Phoenix nodded apologetically. 

"I'm so sorry, Sakura. Please forgive me!" She got down on her knees and I couldn't help but smile at her puppy-dog expression. I finally nodded and she got up. 

"Oh, and I'm so sorry I didn't give you my phone number on Friday. I guess we were just so busy still trying to know each other and then the fact that it began to rain, and well, you know." She said. I motioned for her to sit down next to me, which she gratefully did while looking around. 

"Nice room!" She exclaimed quietly. I smiled. In the corner near the door was my bed, the walk-in closet right next to the door across from the bed, a large white vanity with a big mirror on the other side of the room next to my writing desk, a long bureau with my TV and PS2 system on top of it (as well as a whole bunch of other little trinkets), and a chest at the foot of the bed finished off my rather large pink-and-white room. I hate to brag, but it truthfully was very nice. 

"Thanks. Anyway, I really need to talk to you about something. Well, a lot of things." Phoenix turned to look at me, truthfully concerned. I felt a pang of sadness because at that very moment, she looked exactly like Tomoyo. 

"Ok, shoot." 

"Well, first of all, remember when you were telling me the story of the stadium? You said no hauntings have been recorded since the night of Timmy Turner. Can you tell me about it PLEASE!?!?!?!" Phoenix smiled.   
"Sure. Well, perhaps twenty years after George's death, it was the night of Halloween and a bunch of kids were here in the stadium, partying late at night, way after most of their curfews. A boy name Timberland Turner, nicknamed Little Timmy Turner for his height, was hanging with his friends and they were playing a game of truth or dare. So one of Timmy's friends dared Timmy to go downstairs in the basement alone for five minutes. Timmy, trying to look good in front of his friends, took the dare and went downstairs. His friends played a more-than-harmful trick on him and closed the door to the basement. That was when Timmy faced the ghost of Mark.

"He was looking around, relatively scared of course, to amuse himself for those five minutes, when suddenly the ghost appeared, holding something heavy in his hand. Timmy screamed his very last scream as the ghost hurtled whatever it was holding towards Timmy, killing him. The ghost probably felt mortified that it had killed another person and disappeared, never to be seen again." Phoenix finished, panting. I frowned. 

"Wow. How do you know all these stories?" I asked, suddenly feeling suspicious. Phoenix shrugged and turned toward the window. 

"My.......grandfather told them to me when I was younger." I decided to shrug it off and tell her about my dreams. 

"Oh yeah, I have to tell you something. I've been having these weird dreams lately......" And so I told her all about them. 

"Wow! Hey, maybe the little box is still there! How about we go to the stadium after school tomorrow?" She asked eagerly. I smiled widely. 

"That'd be great! You never know if we'd actually find it. It may unlock some sort of secret to George's past." We both smiled. 

"I can't wait until schools over tomorrow!" I grinned. 

"Yeah. Anyway, do you have a lot of friends at school? Maybe they can come with us. " Phoenix's face suddenly fell and I wished I hadn't asked her.

"Well, no, not really. I mean, I AM on the cheerleading team, where most of the popular girls are, but I am mostly a loner. I have friends, but I know they're only my friends because I'm popular. I really have no-"

"Real friends." I finished for her. We smiled at each other. I took her hand in mine. 

"Well, we'll be real and best friends, right?" I asked. She smiled and tightened our grip.

"Of course. Friends forever?" 

"Friends forever." We hooked our pinkies in a little friendship-promise, and smiled, knowing we had a secret only we would ever know. After that, she got up and tucked me in like a mother would do. I worked to keep from frowning; Tomoyo would do this after every visit to me when I was sick. She gave me one last hug, then pulled on all of her outer clothing and climbed out the window, disappearing into the night. I glanced at my clock. 

2:00 a.m. 

"HOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!" 

~~*~~

"So, she knows?" A voice asked the darkness of the stadium.

"Yes, they both know now." Another voice answered. 

"Why did you have to tell her?" A long silence followed this question. 

"Because.............she has magic and so does the other one. They might be able to help us." 

"They won't. Neither of them believe in........well, us." 

"It can't hurt to hope, can it?" 

"Since when did you start hoping, Mark?"

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Author's Note:

Ooh, another cruel cliffhanger! *grins evilly* I hope you all are happy! Now, you can enjoy threatening me into finishing the next chapter. I haven't decided if I want to make that one a cliffhanger, too, but I'll think it over. 'Till then, keep flaming and reviewing! But please, *puts on puppy-dog eyes* go easy on the flames. I'm a beginner. 

*Holds a pretend microphone* So, is it really the two ghosts of Mark and George talking? Will Sakura and Phoenix actually to back to Finnegan's Wake? Will Sakura wake up early for school? Will we actually be able to dominate the world with a pack of toothpicks? Uhh, oops, shouldn't have said that *sweatdrop* heh. Well, all of these questions and more will be answered on the next Stadium of Dreams! 'Till then, later days! (Always wanted to say that line from "The Weekenders" - lol)


	4. Chapter 4

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Stadium Of Dreams

By, Sakura's Ray Of Hope

Author's Note:

Ok, This chapter is ready! Sorry for making everyone wait so long! My computer was broken for God knows how long and I was really sick. Anywayz, hope you can forgive me! And thanks to all of those who reviewed! 

Answers to Reviewers:

+ SpaceRanger - 

Well, yeah I know that, but I decided I wanted to give Sakura that sixth sense as well. ^_^ Glad you enjoy the fic! 

+ Sakura Kinomoto - 

Syaoran's coming soon! Don't get too hyper *sweatdrops* That's my job lol! Glad You're enjoying the story.

+ JadesRose

Thanks but I already knew a cardinal wasn't a bird of prey. Lol, but it IS little league, as you said. I have to admit that I couldn't think of another title for the stadium that would fit with the story the way I have it planned, so Birds of Prey was my last hope. Hope you enjoy the rest of the story!! 

On to the Fic!

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Chapter 4

"Wake up Sakura........" The voice danced in my head. Burrowing my face deeper into the blankets, I tried to block it out. But it wasn't working. I just wanted to get more sleep. It had seemed like hours before I fell asleep after last night. Maybe last night was a dream. But then again, maybe not. 

"Wake UP Sakura........." The voice had a masculine timbre, now mixed with sheer annoyance. I shook my head in the blankets. _Go Away Already! _I wanted to scream. But all that came out was a simple murmur.

"WAKE UP SAKURA!!!!!" I sat up immediately, thoroughly shaken, and hit my head on something hard - very hard. Rubbing my sore head, I turned to look at the annoying brother who always chose to yell in my ear to wake me up. I glared at him and he glared right back, with just as much force. With him clutching his nose and trying to glare through the pain, the scene was actually quite comical. But now, back to business.

"Onni-chan! Will you just for once try to wake me up by shaking me a little, not yelling in my ear!?!?" I growled before plopping down into my pillow. "Go away." I mumbled. Even though I couldn't see him, we had a brother-sister-telepathy thing and I could feel him smirking behind my back. 

"WAKE UP!" He screamed in my ear. I jumped up again and he jumped back just in time to avoid my head. _Shoot!!_ I couldn't help but think. I threw my pink bunny at him. He dodged and smirked triumphantly, then finally stalked out the door. 

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" 

"I AM LEAVING YOU ALONE, KAJUII!!" With that, I knew he had one. Yawning, I glanced at the clock to my right.

8:25 a.m. 

"HOEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!" I jumped out of my bed and ran to the bathroom, brushing my hair and teeth at the same time. I washed my face quickly and raced down the whole, looking at the hallway clock as I ran. 

8:29 a.m.

I ran to the rocking chair near the window and grabbed my clothes. Immediately I dropped them. They were soaking wet. A tiny piece of paper fluttered to the ground. Picking it up, I noticed slender writing and the signature written clearly out. I smiled as I saw Phoenix's address in neat scrawl and her perfect signature. Sighing, I walked over to my closet and picked out a simple outfit. A denim skirt with cherry blossoms sewed carefully around it (Tomoyo had made it for me) and a light pink shirt with my name sewed carefully and perfectly in the front (also made by Tomoyo). I quickly pulled them on with knee-highs and a pair of Mary-Janes'. I glanced at the clock as I clasped the tiny lock of my flower-shaped locket that Syaoran had given me before I left. 

8:34 a.m. 

I ran downstairs as fast as I could, sliding into the kitchen and nearly tripping over Touya's foot. I glared at him and gulped down a glass of orange juice and gobbled down a piece of buttered toast. 

"Ohayo, Sakura-chan!" My mother called happily. I nodded at her as I searched desperately around the kitchen for my watch. My father, sitting at the table with my brother, tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and he dangled the watch in my face. 

"It was on the table." He said. I blushed, embarrassed and slapped on the watch.

8:38 a.m. 

"HOOOEEEEEEEE!! I gotta go, see you guys later!" I kissed my mom and dad and waved to Touya, then ran to the hallway closet. I passed the calendar, but didn't bother to look at it as I did every morning. October something was the date. I stopped in front of the closet. Pulling out a thin denim jacket, I made a grab for my roller blades. I rushed out the door and skated as fast as I could to Phoenix's house. When I got there, I found that she was also rushing this morning. _We must be twins_, I couldn't help but think as she pulled a pair of skates and a denim jacket out of the hallway closet. She rushed out and rammed right into me. 

"YOUUUUUUCHHHHHH!!!!" She squealed before looking up. "Why don't yo- Oh, Sakura!" She yelled, embarrassed. She helped me up and I couldn't help but smirk at her. 

"You're early today, I see." I teased. She scowled and grabbed her lunch from her dad, who was standing at the door. He kissed her forehead and waved to me before disappearing inside. Phoenix's mother walked out carrying a briefcase. She gave us a confused look.

"It's late. Do you want me to give you guys a ride?" She called over. Phoenix shook her head.

"No, we're fine. We can skate, mom!" She grabbed my hand and we flew down the steps. 

"Ok, see you girls later!" Her mother called as Phoenix rolled her eyes. 

"I'm sorry Sakura, but if we take her offer, she'll never stop asking you questions. With me being an only child, she and my dad want to know everything about my friend's history to be safe." She gave an exasperated sigh. I giggled.

"Your dad seemed pretty taken to me." 

"Yeah but only because he's much softer on me than my mom." She shook her head and I glanced at my watch again. 

"Umm, I think we're going to be late. It's 8:44!" I exclaimed. She gasped, then gave me a wicked grin. I grinned back. 

"YOU'RE ON!" We yelled before taking of at high speed. A few late students cheered us on as we raced and we finally made it, 10 seconds before the bell. I grinned tiredly at her before we both sighed. 

"Tie." We giggled as we took off our skates quickly and I rushed to my locker, only to find that Phoenix had the one right next to mine. When she put her lunch in, I suddenly realized that I had forgotten something. Giving an exasperated sigh, I turned to Phoenix and threw my hands up as in defeat. 

"I forgot my lunch." 

~~*~~

=During First Period: Language Practice=

Mr. Lewis walked in, looking thoroughly shocked, but smiled at the Language class. Phoenix sat up straight. She loved Mr. L's classes. It was the only class that didn't make her yawn. 

"Ok class, today we have a new student from Tomoeda, Japan. Sakura, please make your entrance." 

~~*~~

"Sakura, please make your entrance." I heard. I walked in quietly and the entire class stared at me. I glanced around the room, looking for the familiar face that was Phoenix. I spotted her at the back, next to an empty seat. I shot her a smiled and she grinned in return. 

"Sakura, please tell the class about yourself." Mr. L. told me. I smiled and nodded. 

"Hello. My name is Sakura Kinomoto and I'm from Tomoeda, Japan." 

"Hello Sakura." The class said in unison. 

"Sakura, you can sit wherever you want." I got some anxious looks from the class, mostly from the boys, but I didn't know why(A/n: Clueless Sakura, ne? ^_^). So I just ignored them and walked to the back, next to Phoenix.   
"Hey." I murmured before sitting down. 

"Hey." She answered. Well, here starts my day. 

~~*~~

=Lunch=

"So, are we still on for tonight?" Phoenix asked me. It was lunchtime and she had been nice enough to share her peanut butter and jelly sandwich with me. I refused at first, but she wouldn't hear of it. She shoved it under my nose and held it there until finally, I reluctantly gave in. 

"Yeah, of course." Suddenly, two boys, one that looked suspiciously like Syaoran and one with black hair and bangs that hid his eyes, walked over to our secluded table and sat next to each of us. 

"Excuse me, but we were talking here." Phoenix cried angrily, but I saw a hint of a blush on her cheeks. 

"I know what you are planning to do tonight. Don't do it. At least not tonight. It'd be to dangerous." The boy who looked like Syaoran murmured. 

"And why would we listen to you, Sean?" Phoenix asked, still blushing, but making no effort to hide it. 

"Because, number one, your my girlfriend and number two, don't you know what tonight is?" He asked. Phoenix shook her head.

"Are you always this clueless?" The boy with dark hair asked as he shook his head.

"Shut up, Angelo." Phoenix snapped. 

"Make me."  
"Oh, I'll make you all right. LEMME AT 'EM!" She yelled across the lunchroom. Of course, with a high pitched voice like that, many stares took place. Sean sighed loudly and shook his head before pulling his girlfriend back down on the seat. 

"Phoenix, stop." He said sternly. And Phoenix did just that. 

"Ummm, I hate to interrupt or anything, but would you mind telling us what today is?" I piped up. The three of them looked at me as though just noticing I was there. I blushed. 

"Umm.......hi. Did you forget about me already?" Phoenix jumped up and shook her head.

"No, Sakura-chan!" 

"It's just that she always argues with Angelo, even when we became girlfriend and boyfriend, she still argued with my best friend." Sean told me. I giggled. Phoenix threw a few mock-punches at him. Angelo shook his head. I sighed. 

"Well, are you going to tell us what today is?" Phoenix asked after she had calmed down. 

"No, but I'll tell you what tonight is. It's Timmy's night." Was all Sean said. Just then the bell rang. I got up and waved to Phoenix. After lunch was the only time we didn't have the same class. It left me to ponder what Sean had told us. I found myself drifting away during math (But then again, I always drift away during math!). 

=Dream Sequence=

__

"HAPPY HALLOWEEN!" Five loud voices yelled across Finnegan's Wake. Timberland Turner was one of those five, smiled brightly, completely wrapped up in life. 

"Hey, let's play Truth or Dare!" A girl known as Denise piped up. Her best friend, Kairi Engers, put her arm around her friend and grinned. 

"Yeah, that's a great game to play on Halloween night in Finnegan's Wake, isn't it?" She mockingly agreed. "Truth or dare, Timmy?" She asked, turning to him. Timmy blushed; he had a huge crush on Kairi. Wishing to impress and please her, he decided to pick dare. She grinned devilishly. 

"Ok, I dare you to spend exactly FIVE minutes down in the basement." Everyone 'oohed' and slapped her a high five. Timmy paled and backed away a little. 

"W-wait....." He stammered. Kairi shot him an almost pleading look.

"Don't tell me you're backing out on me, now are you?" She asked quietly. Timmy shook his head. 

"Nope. I accept your challenge." He stood up and walked triumphantly toward the doors to the basement. Giving one more salute to his friends, he opened them and entered. When he had successfully made it down the stairs, Kairi and Denise decided to play a more than harmful trick: they slammed the door behind Timmy and shut it tight.  
"NOW we can make sure you stay in there for 10 minutes!" Denise giggled. Kairi smirked. 

"How about 15?"

"How about 20?" A boy named Eric grinned. Timmy heard all his 'friend's' treacherous remarks. 

"I HATE YOU PEOPLE!" He screamed up at them. They immediately stopped.

"We're sorry, Timmy. Just spend 5 minutes in there and we'll let you out." The last member of the group, Derek, called down. Timmy gave a sigh of relief. 

"Ok." He sighed in defeat. To pass the time, he whistled a tune. Suddenly, there was a noise. Like someone was walking toward him. Shuffling, kind of. 

"W-Who's there?" He stammered. The sound stop. A tiny glow emitted from the direction of the shuffling footsteps. In a split second, George stood there, a glare on his face. Timmy was so scared, he couldn't even scream.

"Who are you?" George asked after a minute of silence. Timmy finally got his tongue.

"I'm Timmy." He whispered.

"What are you doing here?" 

"I'm on a dare from my friends-" George growled at the word friends. 

"Friends? You have friends? That's not fair! I want a friend, too!" George whined, his eyes still holding that glare, arms still crossed firmly in front of him. 

"Y-you haven't got any friends, do you?" Timmy asked quietly. George glared even harder, if possible, at him. 

"I've been dead for 20 years! I have no friends." 

"W-what about Mark?" George shook his head and floated behind the popcorn machine before he came out with a tiny package. He examined it closely before growling, dropping it and picking up a rock. 

"Get out."

"I can't. Not until my five minutes are up." 

"GET OUT." George repeated, firmer. 

"I can't."  
"NOW!" Then he threw the rock at Timmy's head. With a sickening crack, he fell to the floor, dead. George looked on in horror. 

"No, no, what have I done?" He whispered. Taking one more look at Timmy, he turned his back on him and disappeared, never to reappear again. 

=End Dream Sequence=

"Sakura, Sakura, wake up!" Phoenix frantically tried to wake her friend up. Finally, she managed to get me up. I found myself in my bedroom, but it wasn't my mother or father that I saw. It was Phoenix. I tried to smile at her despite the pain I was feeling all over my face and on the inside. My cheeks were wet, and my eyes felt swollen. My heart was aching with sadness. 

"W-what happened?" I asked her quietly. She gave me a confused look. 

"I was hoping you'd tell me that. You fell asleep in math. I know Miss King is boring, but she's not so boring that you have to fall asleep and cry! The situation was actually quite funny." She giggled a little, then stopped at my completely serious face. "Ok, tell me what's wrong."

"I was crying?" I whispered. Phoenix nodded. 

"Yeah, and Melanie Christen, the girl who sat next to you, noticed you asleep and crying and told Miss King. Miss King told Professor Stern (Our principal, if you forgot) and he called home but no one was there. At that very time, I was in the office to get something for my teacher and I talked him into letting me take you home. Care to explain something to me?" She questioned. I put up a finger to tell her to wait a minute while I sorted things out. Then I put it down and she asked. 

"What were you dreaming about?" 

~~*~~

"Mark, I hate you." A voice pierced the quiet of the stadium basement, filled with irritation and anger. Mark's ghost appeared near the popcorn machine. 

"George, you've been saying that ever since I died." He murmured. George scowled. 

"Why did you have to tell her that? Now she'll never help us thinking that we're both murderers! So much for hope!" Mark's face fell. He hadn't thought of that. 

"I think she deserves the truth." Another voice entered the two spirit's conversation. They both looked up, and gasped. 

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Author's Note: 

I am SOOOOOOO sorry for not finishing this chapter like I had hoped to!! Please, PLEASE R+R FOR MEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! *cough* Ok, I'm done begging now! ^_^ 

Anywayz, on to business: So0o0o0o, does George hate Mark? How does that change his personality? Will Sakura tell Phoenix her dream? Will they visit the stadium tonight? I wonder........


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